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The hike

Pomonte (0m) - La Terra (538m) -fork it3/it25 (692m) - Madonna del Monte (630m) Marciana (485m)

From the village of Pomonte, next to the news agent, take the narrow road recently restored with stones, which climbs among dense Prickly Pears and Cacti to a road just above it. Turning right after 100 metres you find on the left an Archepelago Toscano National Park wooden signpost indicating the pathway N° 4, a marvellous mule track which still show the ruts made by the mule traffic which accompanied man for thousands of years towards the vineyards and the tiny fields now abandoned. In a true garden of prickly pears and cisto, with plants of lavender, you slowly climb the hairpin bends until the fork which takes you to Monte San Bartolomeo and Chiessi. Taking the left hand fork proceed, this time less steeply, between strawberry tree shrubs and myrtle. The view towards Monte Capanne is wonderful. Looking backwards Montecristo, Pianosa and the Corsican coast with its snow covered mountains (Mount Cinto is 2710 metres high) emerge from the blue Tirreno sea. Proceeding along the ridge from the Pomonte valley you enter into the Chiessi valley which appears to be set into the turquoise waters of the sea. Passing beyond the high umbrella pines, you arrive at the fork for Marciana sign-posted as No. 10 (this itinerary is harder than ours). Continue, and after a short downhill tract which takes you to a little spring (often without water), you again climb the beautiful paved mule track which leads to the locality of Troppolo. However, before this you arrive at the fork between our itinerary No. 3 and No. 25 which instead return to Chiessi, turning towards the left and passing by Semaforo.

Bibliography:
A. Bietolini G. Bracci, Arcipelago Toscano, Tamari Montagna Edizioni Bologna 1988
G.Racheli, Le Isole di Ferro, Mursia, Milano
R.Giombini M.Ferrari, La Guida ai Sentieri dell'Elba, Editrice Azzurra, Pistoia 1987.

After a long coastal tract which allows you to admire the Island of Capraia and which goes around the base of Monte Giovi, you notice that the Mediterranean undergrowth becomes higher and shady. We have reached the sanctuary of the Madonna del Monte where Napoleon Buonapart also stopped and, in August of 1814, met Maria Walewska and her son Alessandro. After the essential stop you go down the stone road bordered by the Stations of the Cross which leads to Marciana Alta where the journey finishes.

Access Bus ATL from Portoferraio and by car.
Time required 5 hours
Difference in height 628 m
Difficulty 'E' (watch carefully for snakes (Aspis vipers) and always carry anti snake serum).
Maps   1 :30,000 scale enclosed in the volume "Arcipelago Toscano" by Tamari Montagna - Padova edition
Info office of the Parco di S. Sofia (FO) - tel. +39 0543 971375
Characteristics Mule track, pathways and overgrown pathways
Best season Spring or Autumn

 

Text and pictures Gianfranco Bracci
Translation: Jeremy Carden


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